'Catastrophic': Black Isle pothole crisis triggers action demand as motorists left heavily out of pocket over repairs
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AN impassioned call for accountability over the "catastrophic" state of roads in a Ross-shire community has been issued by horrified residents fed-up of forking out for pothole-related repairs.
As Highland Council ponders the possibility of setting up a dedicated pothole repair team, road users demanded radical action on what one local councillor admits is a crisis.
Residents in a Black Isle community this week banded together to share the daily plight of thousands of people depending on the network to go about their daily business.
Ruth Donald of Killen said: "It's shocking the state of the roads up here. The small roads that lead to Killen from Munlochy, Fortrose and Avoch are full of potholes and are virtually impassable. Highland Council say they have no money but I pay my council tax."
Dozens of people have flagged expensive vehicle repairs and many agree priorities need to be dramatically reassessed.
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Ms Donald voiced concern about money "being wasted on things that aren't needed and 'monstrosities' like the River Ness gathering place artwork.
"It's just not a case of filling potholes anymore. It's at the stage where there are stretches of the road so bad they need to be totally resurfaced. There has to be real concern about accountability. No one seems to be accountable.We need to be proactive instead of always reactive.
"I drive at a snail's pace. We have to use the roads – we don't have a choice. I pay car tax. I pay council tax on time. The roads were pretty bad in summer and have got worse. Tractors and heavy vehicles use them as do logging lorries. These roads are not fit for them."
Black Isle councillor Sarah Atkin admitted it is a "catastrophic" situation and bad weather over winter had "absolutely decimated" roads in the area. She said: "I want people to know that I'm making every representation I can. I do care about it. It's getting to the point where you can't drive on this road any more. I know this is a crisis now."
Acknowledging a limited budget focused first on strategic roads, she said: "I think we need to look seriously how we get a lot more money in for roads. It's getting beyond a joke. I'm trying to put us at the top of the pile."
fellow ward councillor Lyndsey Johnstone: "I know how bad the roads have become in the Black Isle, especially around Killen and over the Mount Eagle road. These roads are vital for getting from one side of the Black Isle to the other and with being regular users of these roads we fully appreciate how much they have deteriorated, especially after the last cold snap. We have passed on many requests for repairs to the roads team who are working incredibly hard with a small team and limited resources.
"The roads in the Black Isle account for roughly 20 per cent of all the road length in Ross-shire. Residents in the Black Isle can be assured that after the budget meeting on Thursday I hope we will have a better understanding of how these priorities may be met."
A Highland Council spokeswoman said: "Work to tackle potholes never is undertaken over the winter months as for repairs to be effective we need to wait for better weather conditions – only emergency works are carried out in winter conditions. Our focus has been providing a seven days a week winter maintenance service. Once the weather improves maintenance works will be carried out in line with resources. In the meantime we refer people to our fact sheet on potholes and encourage anyone to report any to us."
